What's old is new again

Way back when.. Like somewhere around 2001, I worked for Agency A, as did Top Dawg (from the "I have a pea" story).  That was, of course, before his lofty Top Dawg status.  Our Governor was the charismatic Governor K  (who happend to have a wife named Sharon, which may be the only reason I liked him -  but that's another story.)

As the story goes, Top Dawg went on to bigger and better things, eventually landing as the Top Dog at Agency B.  Governor K was replaced with Governor K2 and life went on for little ol' me, oblivous to how any of this political roulette affected my place in the world.

Well.. wouldn't you know it but ex-Governor K was re-elected this year?  And wouldn't you just know it that the new Governor: ex-Governor K wants Top Dawg back at Agency A?

The move was announced and completed today and now I've lost Top Dawg as my friend and ally at Agency B.  I hope that I have thoroughly proven my worth at Agency B or I might be looking for peas again!

As it happened, within an hour of this devastating announcement Top Dawg and I stumbled upon each other at a local eatery.  He sat at our table and participated in a bit of chit-chat.  Some World of Warcraft conversation with  my dining companion (his character "Bin" has reached the ripe old age of 84 and he's hoping to get him to 85 this weekend - apparently a magic number in WOW - I tried not to let my complete uninterest show as my eyes glazed over and my head began to nod.)  There was also a bit of conversation about this upheaval.  He is but a political puppet really.  At his level you go where you are appointed or you get kicked to the curb. 

I did not beg, but I did mention that I've heard Agency A was experiencing significant Sharon withdrawals and customers were complaining that nothing was getting resolved without me (and my team) and that perhaps it might be a good idea to bring me back over.. for the next 183 days anyway.

After that.. none of it matters because I'm SO OUTTA HERE!  (insert evil laughter here).

Hello Stranger!

Me:  Allow me to re-introduce myself.  My name is Sharon.  I'm your owner.
Poor Abandoned, Neglected Treadmill:  Who? 
Me:  Your owner.  I know you haven't seen me in months but I'm here to re-stake my claim as your rightful lord and master.
Treadmill: I don't know you.  MY owner promised to take me for walks and runs and promised to never use me as a clothes hanger.  I've been sitting out here, alone, in the cold, with nothing but a bunch of junk to snuggle with.
Me:  I know.  I'm sorry.  But in all fairness.  I haven't used you as a clothes hanger.  You've been more like storage shelves, what with the boxes and other assorted stuff stacked upon your belt.
Treadmill:  Ooof!  uh.. put on a little?  I'm not sure I'm rated for this much. Have you checked the manual?
Me:  Be nice.  You'll be fine.  Hey.. crank up the music a bit, would ya?  I can't hear it over my wheezing.
Treadmill:  Spandex??!  Really?  Even Lycra has it's limits!  What happened to you anyway?
Me:  I said be nice!  It's been a rough year and a half.  I lost a couple friends to cancer.  My dog died.  My guinea pig died.  I lost my job.  I lost my Mom to dementia, then she died too.  My son moved out, he crashed his car, my daughter is growing up and is getting increasingly challenging.  It's been rough.  I tried to eat my way through the pain.
Treadmill:  I'm sorry.  Really I am.  How'd that work out for you?
Me:  Not so well.
Treadmill:  I can tell.  You should have come to see me instead.  I could have helped.
Me:  Yeah, I know.  Sometimes the right thing isn't always the easiest thing.  Besides, I was raised to believe that food fixes everything.
Treadmill:  I could have told you that wouldn't work.
Me:  NOW you tell me.    What is that incessant pounding I hear??
Treadmill:  I think that's your heart rate.  It appears to be off the charts.
Me:  Whew. I should probably stop before something important bursts.  I'll see you again soon though.  Maybe next time we can get through a second song on the mp3 player.
Treadmill:  Come back anytime.  I'll be waiting.

Mary Hotho

Mom, about 1942

My mom died Monday.  It was swift and peaceful.  She had been struggling with her health for years, she was so very tired and I know she was confident she had finished her business here.

Within hours my brother, Jerry was on a plane headed west, Peter was in his car headed south and my friend Sherry showed up at my door to "just be there" for me.  I am blessed by these people and so many others.  This world is full of good humans.

As Jerry and I were sitting at the funeral home yesterday we were charged with writing her obituary.  Not an easy task, but they had this handy form to prompt your memories and give you ideas to write about.  A couple things came to light.  Mom loved flowers.  She could bring a dead, shriveled up, hopeless scrap of a plant back to life and make it explode in the glory of it's plantness.  It would thrive and grow.  I shall never see an angel wing begonia and not think of her. 

The second thing that stood out about my mom is her love for her family.  She struggled long and hard for children and considered Jerry and I precious gifts, rarely letting an opportunity pass without letting us know.  In fact, while going through her things yesterday we found several notes confirming that very thing, specifically put there for us to find after she "was gone."

My mom's love for us was so strong it was sometimes stifling.  Jerry wasn't allowed to go to Germany and I wasn't allowed to smoke, drink, have sex or go outside the boundaries of 82nd, 182nd, Powell and Halsey without permission.  It was completely awful.  (not.)

Mom taught me to be strong, to allow myself to depend on another, as long as I knew I could do it on my own if I had to.  She taught me to bake, sew, swing a hammer, pour concrete and tear up concrete.  She never managed to teach me to do laundry very well.  I can live with that.

Cleverly and subtly, by example, she taught me to pay attention to which garage door I opened before backing the car out.  She taught me drills can go in reverse and that drilling 100+ holes takes a lot longer if that is the setting.  She taught me how to be a good mom.

She taught me to love my children, to love my life and to appreciate all the wonders in the world.

Now.. for a few of my favorite Mom quotes:

• Look kids!  There's a deer!
• Look kids!  There's a hawk!
• Look kids!  A mailbox!
• Why would he buy the cow when he can get the milk for free??
• I should trade you for a rubber duck!
• Well plutycrat!  (that would be pronounced ploo-teeee-crat)
• Call me when you get there!
• You know what I thought did? (except I could never actually remember what I thought did)

Mary Hotho, 1925 - 2010
Ernie Hotho, 1928 - 1992

Love you Mom.  Say Hi to Dad.  Call me when you get there.

I'm NOT afraid of heights!

I went north this weekend.  Peter lured me up there with promises of fun.  He said it was going to rain.  Torrential downpour he said.  The rain would keep us from outside work he said.  Instead of working on Saturday we would go visit friends in Vancouver.  Janet Jackson for one (really that's her name.. only she's not Michael's sister.  This Janet Jackson is 101 years old and a family friend).  He told me it wouldn't hurt to bring my overalls.. but we'll probably just be sociallizing and having fun..

Saturday morning brings ... overcast skies and.. no rain.  None.   Work it is then.   Oh well - I thought it didn't REALLY matter because at least I was spending it with him.  I don my trusty overalls and out we go.  First, we move a pallet full of roofing.  Then came the task of cleaning the roof of the "schoolhouse" and clearing the gutters.  Peter deftly scampered up the 12 foot ladder and onto the roof to begin clearing moss.  I was invited up.  Uh.. no.  No.. I think I need to go take my new birthday bike for a spin. Which I did.  I barely got to the far edge of the property before guilt set in though.  So I came back.  I stared up at him.  I climbed up the ladder.  I surveyed the roof.  I climbed back down.  I wasn't going to get up there!  So I started clearing the gutters from the ladder.  The process went like this.. Climb up, scoop goop out, climb down, move the ladder, climb up, scoop goop, climb down, move the ladder..   The entire west side of the building. 

Then I went to the east side.  The ladder wouldn't fit. I tried this way, that way and every way.. There were just too many trees, flowerbeds and hostas in the way.  The only way to get those gutter cleared was from the roof.  It just couldn't be done any other way.  So I carried this 1,000 pound ladder (that's what it felt like by then) back around to the other side and I climbed up it. 

There was the roof.  There I was high on the ladder.  There was the ground, 12 feet below me.  I paused for far too long contemplating the transfer of my weight from ladder to roof.  It just made it worse.  But finally I took a deep breath and went for it.  There I was.  On the roof.  Standing up, however, was another thing entirely!  I crawled to the peak on my knees and ever-so-slowly stood up. I'm not sure why I thought standing up at the peak would be better than standing up lower.  Then I walked down to the east edge, sat down and started cleaning the gutter, and scooted the whole length of the building on my back side.  Here are my overalls to prove it:

The rain finally hit hours later.  Stupid weather.  But at least I know the gutters are working well!

The story..

About a month ago, through a series of events that were full of drama, revenge and distrust, it was brought to my attention that my beloved daughter was smoking. SMOKING!! Just days after she looked me in the eye and said, "I will never smoke, that is disgusting!"

I'm proud of myself. I remained calm, after a fashion. I waited a full day before I spoke to her about it. I calmly put her under house arrest for a month. I calmly froze her allowance and her debit card. I calmly took away her car keys and I calmly applied parental controls to her phone to made it shut off every night at 10:30.

After two weeks I was tired of driving her to school so she got her car back for that. Nothing else though. Last week her grades came in: A, A, A, A, A, A, B. Not too shabby - and apparently she's smarter than she appeared when she started smoking. I rewarded her with an extra 1/2 hour of phone time at night. Then I hit upon a brilliant idea and proposed it to her. She could write me an essay. If she wrote it and convinced me she learned her lesson, I would lift her house arrest a full week early. Of course, she would still be on probation and we would have random smell-checks and purse searches.  She agreed and  the following is her essay.

If you knew about something that killed 430,000 people a year, you wouldn't think to do it, but about 25% of Americans do. Smoking cigarettes is much more dangerous than just getting lung cancer. There are many more repercussions that are also very severe, and repercussions that aren't nearly as dangerous, like to your appearance, and your wallet. The fact of the matter is, there is no positive light to such a deadly addiction.



Most people are aware that smoking can cause lung cancer, but most people don't know that of the 430,000 people that die every year, 180,000 of them die from cancer. Over 1,000 people die every single day from smoking, thats about 1 in 6 people. The statistics are frightening, over 3,000 people die every 3 days, thats how many people died on September 11th.

The cause for all these deaths are more in-depth than just smoking alone. It's what is in the cigarrette that causes sickness and harm. About 4,000 toxic substances are absorbed into the bloodstream within seconds of inhaling on a cigarette. It also increases your cholesterol and blood pressure. Smoking raises your blood pressure by 5-10 mm Hg for about 30 minutes, if combined with caffiene, the effects are bigger and last longer. Another frightening fact: smokers are twice as likely to have heart-attacks.


Another reason not to smoke, is for vanity. If you care about your looks, you shouldn't want to smoke. It causes pre-mature aging, and wrinkles. It also stains your teeth and gums, pales your skin, and gives you bad breath. Just the smell alone is very disgusting. 67% of people think seeing someone smoking, is a turn-off.


The smell of smoke stays in your clothes, hair and skin. If you smoke in your car or house, this will deeply impact your wallet. A person who smokes has to pay more for insurance, the resale value of a car or house is damaged, and they take about 25% more sick days than non-smokers. A person who smokes three packs a week, spends about $1,000 a year on cigarettes. And don't forget all the perfume and cologne people buy in attempt to cover up the odor.


My personal experience with smoking lasted about four months. This is not a long time in a normal spectrum of things, but just smoking for that long I could feel a very large difference in my breathing, stamina, and over-all health. I play the trombone, a large wind instrument, and after smoking, it became more challenging to play because smoking affects your lungs, and makes breathing more shallow. This leads to bad breath control which not only makes it harder to play but makes it harder for you to control the sound coming from your instrument. I also used to run cross-country. Now, after only four months, I can barely run down the street without becoming very short of breath and exausted. When I began smoking it seemed as though it was because I was surrounded by friends doing it, and I did it as well socially. I now expect to see my friends, and worry for their health. Now that I fully understand the severe consequences of smoking for even a short period of time can cause I have no intention of ever going back to smoking cigarettes, but making it my personal mission to help my peers to quit as well.


Smoking is one of the most dangerous activities a person can engage in. If you felt like risking your life, you could try bungee jumping, only 27 people have ever died from that. Only about 16 people die every year sky diving. Compared to the 430,000 people a year that die from smoking, skydiving sounds much safer. There is no such thing as safe smoking. It is the worlds leading cause of preventable disease.

She is now free to roam with friends, I hope she is armed with tools to stay smoke-free.  She says she is.

Down in the dumps

My house went on a crash diet. One day, 1100 pounds. The Monday before Thanksgiving Peter and I tore down the temporary wall we had put up to make a room for my mom out of the dining room. (Was that a proper sentence? I don't think so.) I have my dining room back though!

The result of the tear-down was a garage full of drywall, 2x4's and assorted de-construction debris. I also had bits and pieces of decking from the deck replacement I did several years ago stacked in a corner of the yard. I had firewood that was gathered for camping trips but instead sat in the rain rotting and like any normal household (I choose to believe) I had broken this, damaged that, old those and some trashed whazzits. Three trips to the dump later it's all gone!

It's such a liberating feeling. I could probably have made a 4th trip - but by the end of the day, which also included a trip to the Christmas tree farm, mowing lawns, raking leaves, sweeping debris, cutting up drywall, pallets, boards and other stuff, I was exhausted . I'm encouraged and I am casting my eyes around the place trying to identify what can go next.

Of course I have a chicken story too! I was working on the cement pad on the side of the house yesterday cutting up stuff to make it fit in my SUV. I was making noise. Lots of noise. On the other side of the gate were my chickens. They could hear me. They were curious about the racket. Carmen flew up onto the gate to see what I was doing. Who knew chickens were curious? Now I have to worry about my chickens visiting the neighbors!

And then there is the dog. I have no explanation for this. It's like.. uh. against the laws of nature or something. Dog & Katten sleeping together.. it's just wrong!

Knitting knitting knitting

Well.. it's finally happened. I've thrown myself into my knitting. It took me forever, but I finally finished the project I worked on all summer. Then I finally made Peter his long-promised hat. Now I have three (yes THREE) knitting projects going at the same time.

One of my projects is a Christmas gift for Peter... only I found out he doesn't need it and he already has a version of it. My eagerness to finish this project for him has waned considerably.

Then I began working on some more coffee cup cozies. I thought they would make perfect gifts for co-workers and casual aquaintances. After a full week, I've got one partially done. Perhaps I should re-think this gift idea.

My third project is a "green grocer bag." It's a reusable shopping bag that is knitted in a lace pattern. This is a new thing for me and I'm really liking it! (not only that.. but this is NOT a felted project!).

The Katten insisted on being in the picture of my grocer bag - plus the picture doesn't do it justice. At all!

Other things are plugging away in my household.

• We've toured two colleges for Jill. She's made up her mind (Seattle Art Institute) but I keep insisting she look at others.
• We tore the temporary wall down that created my mother's bedroom. Unfortunately the contractor I hired put up my temporary wall as a mostly permanent installation. I have severe drywall damage to the permanent structure.
• My mother is gaining strength and mobility after she fractured her pelvis. Although right now she seems to be suffering from a touch of the flu.
• I'm down to just over 200 days and I've started moving some stuff up to Peters with every trip we make north.

How time flies!